Two-time Oscar winner Emma Thompson has hit out at the length of Hollywood’s awards season, saying stars have to repeatedly “trot up and down” red carpets “like circus ponies”.
The British actress, whose films include Sense and Sensibility and Love Actually, called for the awards seasons to be shortened, saying: “Let’s have one or two award ceremonies that are also entertaining and stop using it to sell our movies.”
With actors also now using award ceremonies to highlight Hollywood’s inequality and sex scandals, she said that such protests may make some people uncomfortable but that they should “suck it up”.
She recalled Oprah Winfrey’s rousing speech at the Golden Globes ceremony earlier this month, when she proclaimed “a new day is on the horizon” when no one would be victim of sexual violence.
Emma Thompson has won numerous awards for her film roles (Ian West/PA)
Thompson told the Press Association: “I though Oprah was fantastic. She was just the right person and she said it in just the right way.”
She said: “Some of the faces on those blokes in the room were just priceless.”
She added: “Discomfort is going to be the order of the day for a while.
“And that’s fine. We’ve been uncomfortable for centuries, so suck it up.”
The actress spoke out during a visit to Edinburgh to collect a cheque as president of the Helen Bamber Foundation.
The People’s Postcode Lottery presented the charity with £500,000 to help fund its work with refugees and asylum seekers.
Her visit coincided with the announcement of the Oscar nominations, with Thompson tipping Frances McDormand to pick up the best actress award for a “towering performance” in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
She said she hoped Gary Oldman would be recognised for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.
Asked if the awards season would be different this year, she said: “I swear to God, if I have to do another awards season the way they were I’m going to have to just change my job.
“Seriously – we trot up and down those bloody carpets like circus ponies, time after time, and everyone is fed up of it, never mind the sexual harassment aspect of it all.”
Thompson continued: “What on earth are we thinking. And most actors feel exactly the same – there’s far too many award ceremonies, it goes on for months and everyone is fed up.
“I’m sorry, they will all tell you the same thing if they are honest enough to say so.
“It’s ridiculous, we look like idiots. We’ve got a lovely job, we entertain people, let’s do that, let’s have one or two award ceremonies that are also entertaining and stop using it to sell our movies, it’s horrible.
“I really do think it’s completely out of control.”